Shadows
by Red Blaze 16
Summary: Satsuki, Sage's sister, should have known better than to mess with a Warlord. What happens when he messes back? Rated for adult situations. Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronin Warriors, so please don't sue me. **

_Author's Note: I've altered some things from the TV series. In this version, while Talpa did die at the end of Episode 39, Cale, Sekhmet, and Dais never turned good. Instead they became criminals of the state, wanted by Lady Kayra. _

Shadow

By Red Blaze

_5 years after Talpa's fall. _

Chapter 1 

"It feels like summer."

Yulie glances up at the hot sun as he walks home from school. He's been inside all day and now that he's outside, he wants to get out of the sun. Thinking about what he's going to do once he gets home, Yulie doesn't watch out where he's going and walks right into someone.

"Sorry-" starts Yulie, looking at the man and then stops. Eyes widening, Yulie can do nothing but stare at the man he walked into. _Dais? Is that Dais?_

"Problem, Dais?"

Craning his head, Yulie looks around Dais and notices two men standing just behind the white haired man. Stepping forward, Sekhmet and Cale look over the boy.

"Just a stupid kid, Cale," replies Dais, nodding his head toward Yulie.

"I-" starts Yulie, glancing between the three men. _Oh my god! What do I do now? Do the guys know that they're here?_

"Well, kid, are you going to move or what?" asks Dais, making eye contact with Yulie. Cocking his head, Dais takes a closer look at the boy. _Something familiar…_"Do I know you, kid?"

"No!" shouts Yulie, taking a step back. "I mean, I don't think so."

Walking forward, Cale steps up next to Yulie and looks him over. "You're right, Dais. He seems familiar. Sekhmet?"

Stepping up to the other side, Sekhmet looks over the boy. Nodding his head, Sehkmet glances between Cale and Dais.

"Yulie!"

Turning around, Yulie looks to see who called his name. Seeing Satsuki walking toward him, Yulie glances back at the Dark Warlords. _Sage's sister! Great!_

Stopping next to Yulie, Satsuki looks over the Warlords then shifts her eyes to catch Yulie's. Plastering a smile on her face, Satsuki turns to look back at the Warlords.

"Thanks for stopping him. He was supposed to meet me at the library." Turning back to Yulie, Satsuki grabs Yulie's arm. "Come on, already."

"We're not done here," replies Cale, catching the girl's eyes. _Something familiar about those eyes. _

Turning her violet eyes to Cale, Satsuki cocks her head. "Well, that's too bad. I told Yulie I would help him out on some homework and I don't have much time. You guys can talk later." Pulling Yulie, Satsuki starts to walk away.

Glancing over his shoulder, Yulie watches as the Warlords just stand there. Jerking his arm, Satsuki gets Yulie's attention. "Stop looking at them," she hisses.

"But-"

"I know who they are, Yulie. We need to get away before we can call my brother," says Satsuki, dropping his arm.

Watching the figures are they retreat from them, the Warlords focus their attention on the back of Yulie.

"Yulie?" asks Sekhmet, cocking his head.

"Where have I heard that name before?" asks Dais.

"We follow," says Cale, nodding his head after Yulie and Satsuki.

Together the Warlords start after them. Glancing over his shoulder again, Yulie's eyes widen as he realizes the Warlords are after them.

"They're coming!"

Glancing over her shoulder, Satsuki notices the Warlords are no longer getting further behind them. Actually, they are starting to gain on them. Slipping her hand into her pocket, Satsuki takes out her cell phone. Dialing a number, Satsuki places the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, bro. We have a problem."

"Satsuki? What's wrong?" asks Sage.

"I just ran into Yulie and you'll never guess who I saw with him."

"Who?"

"Remember, I've never seen them, but from what you've told me that they look like, well-"

"Get to the point."

"Warlords."

"Are you joking?"

"Hold on." Satsuki looks over her shoulder at the Warlords and notices that they are still following them. Passing the phone to Yulie, Satsuki nods her head.

"Hey. Sage?"

"Yulie? What's going on?"

"Umm, well, I kind of ran into them. Literally."

"Are you sure it's them?"

"Yeah. Names were used."

While Yulie and her brother talk, Satsuki continues to glance over her shoulder. While the Warlords aren't getting any closer, she can tell that they really are being followed. Turning her attention back to where they are going, she sees that they are only 2 blocks from the library. Taking the phone back from Yulie, Satsuki places it to her ear.

"Sage? Yulie and I are almost to the library. Can you get there?"

"Yeah. Everyone is here, so we'll get there as soon as we can. Don't do anything stupid, Satsuki."

"Hey, it's me."

"I know. That's why I am worried."

"Just get here." Taking the phone from her ear, Satsuki clicks the off button and then slips the phone back into her pants. "We're meeting the guys at the library."

"Will there get there in time?" asks Yulie, glancing again over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid. I'm here," replies Satsuki, with a grin.

"Don't call me 'kid'," says Yulie, forcing himself not to look over his shoulder again.

"You're what? 14?" says Satsuki.

"Yeah, so," replies Yulie, glaring at Satsuki.

"So, I'm 5 years older than you, _kid_" says Satsuki, smirking at Yulie.

Glaring at Satsuki, Yulie glances over his shoulder again.

"The more you look over your shoulder at them, the more encouragement you'll give them to follow us," says Satsuki, as she notices Yulie looking over his shoulder. Noticing the library is only a few buildings away, Satsuki glances over her shoulder as well.

Making eye contact with her, Cale keeps his attention focused on the girl. _Blonde hair and violet eyes. I feel like I should know who she is._

Shifting her eyes forward, she notices that they are at the steps of the library. Stopping at the stairs, Satsuki glances once more at the Warlords and then turns her attention to Yulie.

"Go inside and don't come out," Satsuki orders.

"But what about you?" asks Yulie, looking from the now gaining Warlords to Satsuki.

"Don't worry. Sage should be here soon," says Satsuki. Nodding her head, she glances once more at Yulie. "Now, go!"

Scrambling up the stairs, Yulie is inside the library before Satsuki turns her attention back to the Warlords. Leaning back against the railing, Satsuki waits as the Warlords walk up to her. Looking her over, Cale goes to step around her. Stepping in front of him, Satsuki shakes her head.

"Leave him alone," says Satsuki.

"Get out of the way, girl," replies Cale.

"No," replies Satsuki, cocking her head to look up at Cale.

"You don't want to mess with us," says Dais, as he steps up next to Cale.

"I'm not scared," replies Satsuki, glancing at Dais.

"You should be," says Sehkmet, also stepping up.

"Why? Because you used to be the big bad Dark Warlords?" says Satsuki, smirking.

"How do you know that?" asks Dais.

"My brother told me," replies Satsuki.

"Who's your brother?" asks Cale, as he steps closer to her.

"You should know," replies Satsuki, flicking her hair behind her head and making eye contact with Cale. "He only kicked your ass how many times?"

"What?" asks Cale.

"I'm surprised you can't figure it out," replies Satsuki, laughing. "I'm told we look a lot alike."

Catching her eyes, Cale stares at her face, but instead of seeing her, he sees another. "Halo?"

"Wow, you're not as stupid as you look," replies Satsuki.

"Girl, that was a big mistake," says Dais, grabbing her wrist.

"Mistake?" asks Satsuki, glancing over Dais' shoulder. "No, I think grabbing me was a mistake. What do you think, Sage?"

Taking a step back, all the Warlords look over their shoulders and see not only Sage, but all five Ronin Warriors.

"I would suggest you get your fucking hands on my sister," says Sage, stepping forward to meet the Warlords while the remaining Ronins wait silently by Sage's side.

Tightening his grip, Dais glances between her and the Ronins. Releasing her wrist, Dais turns to face the Ronins.

"Satsuki, go get Yulie and get out of here," says Sage, not taking his eyes off from Dais.

Backing away slowly from the Warlords, Satsuki glances once at her brother before running up the stairs. Just before entering the building, Satsuki turns around to face the Warlords again.

"I have to ask," says Satsuki, gaining the attention of everyone present. Making eye contact with Cale, Satsuki continues, "which pisses you off more? The fact that a _girl_ led you into a trap or that the girl was a Ronin sister?" Not waiting for an answer, Satsuki slips inside the library.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Boiling inside, Cale shifts his attention back to the Ronins, though Satsuki is not far from his thoughts. _You'll be sorry, girl._

"I'm surprised you guys have the balls to show your face here," says Kento.

Clenching his fist, Cale sneers at Kento. "It's not like we have much to fear here."

"You're wanted by Lady Kayra," says Ryo. "As Ronins, it's our job to turn you all over to her justice."

"That traitor?" spats Sehkmet. "We don't answer to her."

"You're just sore that you lost," says Kento, with a smirk.

"You little shit-" says Dais, taking a step forward.

Grabbing Dais' arm, Cale stops him from starting a fight. Glaring at Cale, Dais settles down.

"We're done here," says Cale.

"You're not done yet," says Cye. "We're bringing you in."

"I'd like to see you try, Torrent," replies Sekhmet, smirking.

Without another word, the Dark Warlords fade away. Shocked, the Ronins can only stand there and watch. Within seconds, it was like they were never there.

"How'd they do that?" asks Kento, shaking his head.

"Probably left over Dynasty power," replies Rowen.

"Either way, they're gone," replies Cye shaking his head.

The door to the library opens. Taking a peek outside, Satsuki notices that the Warlords are gone. Stepping outside, Satsuki leaves the library with Yulie following behind her. Walking down the stairs, Satsuki stops next to her brother.

"They're gone?"

Glancing at his sister, Sage nods.

"I want to know what happened," says Ryo, looking between Satsuki and Yulie.

Yulie then proceeds to tell what happened…

"A fucking girl!" shouts Dais.

After retreating, the Warlords returned to their current lair. It was nothing compared to what they used to have when they worked for Talpa, but things changed the day the Ronins killed Talpa.

Storming around the room, Dais continues to pace. "A girl!"

"We know," replies Cale, though not taking his eyes away from the mirror.

It's not ordinary mirror. Talpa used to use a larger one in the throne room, but after his defeat, only this smaller one remained. With the mirror, the Warlords could look out onto Earth and watch their enemies. Currently the mirror was focused on the Ronins who were still outside of the library.

"What are we going to do about this?" demands Dais, as he stops next to Cale and looks at the mirror.

"She won't get away with this," replies Cale.

"She?" asks Sekhmet. "We have more important things to worry about than that girl. The whole reason why we came to Earth to get revenge against the Ronins."

"I know that," snaps Cale, glancing at the Warlord of Venom before returning his attention to the mirror. "Each Ronin will be taken care of."

"I want that girl punished," says Dais, glancing at Sekhmet, before returning his attention to the mirror.

"We can do both," replies Cale, with a smile. "I will deal with Halo through his sister."

"His sister?" asks Sekhmet and then smiles. "I see."

"By the time I am done with her, she'll wish that she had never met me," says Cale. "And Halo will never forgive himself for letting her fall to me."

"I think I am going to like this," says Dais, laughing.

Nodding his head, Cale turns all his attention back to the mirror and Satsuki.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 On the campus of Takaoka National College, Satsuki is leaving her class on Business Management. Walking to the parking lot where she left her car, Satsuki decides to drop off her books before heading to the campus library. "Satsuki!" 

Turning around, Satsuki sees her friend Emiko. Smiling, Satsuki waves her hand and waits for her friend to join her. Stopping in front of her, Emiko shifts her bag on her shoulder.

"Just got out of class?"

"Yeah," replies Satsuki. "Actually, I was thinking about going to the library. Care to join me?"

"Sure."

"I just want to drop off my books in my car first," says Satsuki, as she nods her head toward her car.

Taking her keys out, Satsuki reaches her car and opens the door. Placing the books on the passenger seat, Satsuki shuts the door and then turns back to Emiko. Looking past her, for a second, Satsuki catches sight of a blue hair man.

Standing across the street, Cale watches Satsuki at her car. Noticing that she has seen him, Cale nods his head and then walks away. Watching him walk away, Satsuki moves to follow, but Emiko catches her arm.

"Satsuki? What's wrong?"

"I…I thought I saw someone I knew," replies Satsuki to her friend, before shaking her head. _What was Cale doing here? Is he following me?_

Turning around, Emiko glances across the street. Seeing nothing, she turns back to Satsuki. "I don't see anyone."

"Maybe it was just my imagination," says Satsuki, forcing a smile. "Let's go to the library."

Nodding her head, Emiko follows Satsuki to the library.

A couple hours later, night has fallen, and Emiko and Satsuki leave the library with books in hand. Waving goodbye, Satsuki heads for her car.

Reaching her car, she pulls her car keys out of her pocket and opens the door. Placing the library books on top of her class books, Satsuki shuts the door and moves around the car.

"Satsuki."

Whipping around, Satsuki tries to find who whispered her name. Seeing no one in the car lot, Satsuki shakes her head and opens the driver's door.

"Satsuki."

Holding the door open, Satsuki glances around the car lot again.

"Who's there?" she calls out.

Getting no answer, Satsuki slips into her car and starts it. Putting the car into reverse, she backs out of her space, while turning the wheel. Finally out of her space, she puts the car into drive and starts to drive away, but suddenly sees a man standing in front of her car. Jumping the breaks, Satsuki closes her eyes for a brief moment. Opening her eyes again, she can only stare out of the window. Where once there was a man, the space in front of her car is empty.

"I know I saw someone." Shaking her head, Satsuki drives away.

Standing in the shadows, Cale can only smile as he sees her drive away.

"The game has begun."

Teleporting away, Cale joins the other Warlords at their lair. Moving immediately to the mirror, he passes his hand over it and the mirror reveals Satsuki.

"How'd it go?" asks Dais, joining Cale at the mirror.

"Very well," says Cale. "I let her see me though."

"Should you have shown yourself so early?" asks Sekhmet. "She may tell Halo."

"And what will he do, besides worry himself?" asks Cale, never taking his eyes from the mirror.

In the mirror, Satsuki has gotten to her apartment and parking her car. Stepping out of her car, she looks around the garage before shutting the door.

"I've already got her," says Cale, smiling.

Glancing around the parking garage, Satsuki shuts her car door and then walks around her car. Opening the passenger side, Satsuki takes all the books out of her car and shuts the door. Walking across the lot, Satsuki stops at the elevator and pushes the up button. Waiting for the elevator, she glances around the garage again.

_What's wrong with me? I've never been the nervous type. _

Shaking her head, Satsuki hears the ping of the elevator. Watching the door open, she steps inside and pushes her floor. Riding the elevator up 5 floors, the doors open and she steps onto her floor. Walking down the hall, she stops at her apartment. Juggling her books, she takes her key and slips it into her door. Opening her door, she flips on the lights and walks in, shutting the door behind her.

Dropping the books on the table near the door, Satsuki walks into her living room and glances at her phone. Noticing a blink red light, she saunters over to her phone and pushes the play button on her answering machine.

Beep. "Satsuki, it's Sage. I just wanted to check on you after what happened yesterday. Give me a call." Beep. "Hey, girl, it's Emiko. I saw Matsuko. You remember her, right? We met her last semester. Any way, she wants to know if we can do lunch on Saturday. Let me know, ok?" Beep.

Hearing nothing more, Satsuki deletes the messages and then heads to her bedroom. Changing into some comfortable pj's, Satsuki walks into the kitchen and takes out something to eat. Making a sandwich, Satsuki takes her meal into the living room with her and grabs the phone. Dialing Mia's number, knowing her brother should be there, she waits for her brother to answer the phone.

"Koji residence?"

"Hey, Sage. You called."

"Hello, Satsuki. I just wanted to know if everything is ok."

"No problems," says Satsuki, biting her lip. _Should I mention that I saw Cale to him?_

"Are you sure? I wish you hadn't have let them know about you."

"I told you, no problems," says Satsuki. _I don't want to worry him. It probably wasn't even him._

"Well, if anything changes, let me know immediately."

"Ok. Talk to you later, Sage."

"Bye."

Placing the phone back down on the cradle, Satsuki picks up her sandwich and takes a bite. Hearing the phone ring, Satsuki chews quickly and answers her phone.

"Hello?"

"Satsuki."

"Yes. Who is this?" asks Satsuki, not recognizing the voice.

"I'm watching you."

"Who is this?" demands Satsuki, glancing around her apartment.

"I'll see you soon."

Click. Hearing the dial tone, Satsuki places the phone back down on the cradle. No longer interested in her food, Satsuki throws out the remainder of the sandwich. Walking back into the living room, Satsuki stares at the phone.

_What the fuck was that about? Is someone trying to play a game with me?_ Shaking her head, Satsuki picks up the phone and dials Emiko's number. Listening as the phone rings twice, she wonders if her friend is home. Almost ready to hang up, she hears the phone connect.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Emiko. You sound out of breath."

"Yeah. I just got home. What's up?"

Smiling at the sound of her friend's comforting voice, Satsuki glances around the room. "I got your message. Lunch sounds good to me."

"Good. Well, I'd love to chat, but I haven't eaten yet."

"Ok. Well, I guess I'll talk to you later. If I don't see you tomorrow, then I'll see you on Saturday."

"Sounds good to me. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Satsuki takes a deep breath and then lets it out. Turning off the lights in the living room, Satsuki heads into her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, Satsuki walks over to her bed and pushes back the covers. Slipping underneath, Satsuki pulls the covers to her chin and closes her eyes. In a few minutes, she falls asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

DREAM

Everywhere she looked, nothing but darkness. Satsuki could faintly see some light, but it seemed so far away. Looking around, she started to walk toward the light. Her foot steps echoed throughout the blackness.

_The light seems to be getting closer._

It didn't seem so dark now. The world of darkness was fading into a world of shadows. Hearing a noise, Satsuki glances behind her. _What was that? It sounded like someone walking._

"Who's there?"

Hearing nothing but the foot steps, Satsuki turns back to the light, but now it seemed further away. Striding toward the light, Satsuki could still hear the sound of someone walking. Whipping around, Satsuki stares into the darkness.

"Who's there?" she calls again, but still no reply. Turning back to the light, she begins to run toward it, but no matter how hard she runs, the light seems to be getting further away from her.

Stopping, Satsuki watches as the light continues to get further away. The light finally fades away and Satsuki is left in a world of black. But the light isn't the only thing that is gone.

_The foot steps! I don't hear them any more. _Looking around, Satsuki finds she can't see anything.

"Satsuki."

Whipping around, Satsuki looks into the darkness. "Who's there? Why are you following me?"

"Satsuki."

Hearing the voice from another direction, Satsuki turns again to look. Nothing. It is a world of nothing.

"You're mine, Satsuki."

Grabbed from behind, Satsuki screams…

END DREAM

Bolting awake in bed, Satsuki gives a small scream before she realizes that she's alone in her bedroom. Looking around her room, Satsuki slips her hand up to the small lamp that is on the nightstand next to her bed. Turning on the light, the darkness recedes.

_What the fuck was that about?_

Thinking of getting out of bed, Satsuki jumps a little when she hears the phone ring. Slipping out of bed, Satsuki rushes into the living room and picks up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Satsuki?"

"Sage? What's wrong?"

"I was about to ask you the same question."

"I don't know what you mean," replies Satsuki, glancing around the room.

"I had a bad feeling. I thought something might be wrong."

"I just had a nightmare. Nothing to worry about," says Satsuki.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong? Do you want to talk about the nightmare?"

"No, it's ok. Really. I'm fine."

"If you're sure."

"Yes. Don't worry about me," says Satsuki, forcing a smile even though Sage couldn't see it. "I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Alright." Pause. "Satsuki-"

"Yes?"

"If someone is bothering you, let me know. I can help."

"You don't always have to play the big brother, but thanks for the offer."

"I'm here if you need me."

"I know," replies Satsuki. "Night."

"Good night."

Hanging the phone up, Satsuki glances toward her bedroom. _I'm not ready to go back to bed yet._ Deciding to start a movie, Satsuki looks over her movie collection and decides to watch a nice cartoon. Taking the movie out, she slips the tape into her VCR and turns on the TV. Settling into her chair, Satsuki focuses on the movie.

The darkness wraps itself around him like a mother welcoming home a lost child. Cale slowly opens his eyes and looks at the mirror on the wall. He watches as Satsuki bolts awake.

"You're good."

Looking over his shoulder, Cale notices that Dais watched the whole thing. Smirking, Cale turns his attention back to the mirror and watches as Satsuki goes into the living room and picks up the phone.

"I've only just begun," replies Cale.

Both Warlords watch as Satsuki places the phone back down on the cradle and picks out a movie. Turning the TV, the room floods with light, chasing away the darkness of night.

"It looks like you won't be able to bother her dreams again tonight," says Dais, nodding his head toward the mirror.

"I think I am done for the night any ways," replies Cale, standing up from his meditative position that he was in to enter her dreams. "I'll start again in the morning."

Nodding his head, Dais watches the mirror a little longer before turning away and leaving the room. Cale continues to watch the mirror, never letting Satsuki leave his sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Waking slowly, the first thing she notices is a stiff back. Opening her eyes, Satsuki glances around the room and notices that she fell asleep in the chair. Hearing white noise, she looks at the TV and notices that it is still on. Picking up the remote, Satsuki shuts off the TV and gets out of the chair.

Stretching, Satsuki glances around the room and then heads for her bedroom. Striding over to her closet, Satsuki opens the door and takes a look at her clothes. Grabbing a light blue pair of jeans and an emerald green top, she shuts the closet door and walks over to her dresser. Opening a drawer, she pulls out a clean pair of underwear and a bra. Shutting the drawer, she leaves her room and heads for the bathroom.

_A nice, hot shower should loosen up my back. _

Entering the bathroom, she shuts the door behind her and slips her pj's off. Turning on the shower, she jumps under the water and begins to lather up. Washing off the soap, she takes the bottle of shampoo and squeezes some into her hand. Washing her hair, Satsuki closes her eyes as she rinses the soap out of her hair. Clean now, she just stands under the water and lets it rush over her.

After a few minutes, Satsuki turns around and shuts off the water. Pushing back the shower curtain, she steps out of the shower and grabs a towel. Drying off, she wraps a second towel around her hair and then proceeds to get dressed.

Once dressed, she opens the bathroom door and steps out, the steam following her out of the room. Walking back into her bedroom, she finishes toweling her hair and then grabs her hairbrush from the dresser. Running the brush through her hair, she takes a hair clip and puts it up. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiles.

_Mother always thought it was funny. Sage takes an hour or more to get ready, while I can do it in 30 minutes, including my shower. _

Shaking her head, Satsuki puts her brush back on the dresser and leaves her room. Walking into the kitchen, she grabs a couple slices of bread and puts them in the toaster. Waiting for the bread to cook, she opens her fridge and grabs the carton of milk. Walking over to the counter, she opens a cupboard and takes out a glass.

Ring. Glancing over her shoulder, she hears the phone ring again. _Probably Sage checking up on me again. _

Smiling, Satsuki leaves the milk on the counter and walks into the living room. Grabbing the phone after the third ring, she places her ear to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Satsuki."

"Who is this?"

"Did you enjoy your shower?"

Frowning, Satsuki glances around the room. "Who is this?"

"You'll know soon enough."

Click. It takes Satsuki a second before she realizes that she is hearing the dial tone. Shaking her head, she puts the phone down and walks back into the kitchen.

Grabbing the milk, she starts to pour herself a glass when she stops. _That voice! That's the voice I heard in my dream last night. What the hell is going on here?_

Shaking her head, she finishes pouring her glass of milk. Turning to look at her toaster, she can see that her bread popped up long ago. Ready to eat cold toast, she grabs some jam out of the fridge when she puts away the milk. Sitting down at the table, she spreads jam over her bread and eats her breakfast.

Stepping out of the phone booth, Cale looks up at Satsuki's apartment building. Smiling, he teleports back to the other Warlords. Glancing up at his appearance, Sekhmet raises a brow.

"How'd it go?"

"The invention of the phone makes stalking people so easy," says Cale, smirking.

Nodding his head, Sekhmet waits for Cale to continue. When Cale adds nothing else, Sekhmet shrugs his shoulder.

Walking over to the mirror, Cale passes his hand over it. Awaken, the mirror shows Satsuki in her apartment.

"There is a difference between stalking and obsession," says Sekhmet, glancing at the mirror.

"I want to watch her," replies Cale, looking over his shoulder at the Warlord of Venom.

Shrugging again, Sekhmet stands up from his chair and leaves the room. Ignoring the departure of Sekhmet, Cale never lets his eyes move from the mirror.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Stepping out of the elevator, Satsuki glances around the underground garage before continuing to her car. Shaking her head at herself, she slips a hand into her pocket and pulls out her car keys.

Stopping at her car, she opens the car door and gets behind the wheel. Starting her car, she pulls out of her space and heads out of the garage. Blinking as she leaves the garage, she looks both ways before pulling into traffic.

_A nice day spent at the mall is just what I need_. Turning on the radio, she hums along with the music.

After only a few minutes, she gets to the mall entrance. Finding a parking space, she parks her car and gets out. Shutting the door, she hears the sound of a ringing phone. Slipping her hand into her pocket, she pulls out her cell phone. Pausing a second, she looks at her phone.

_What if it's him?_ Shaking her head, she pushes the on button.

"Hello?"

"Satsuki, where are you?" It's her brother.

"Umm, I just got to the mall. Why?" she asks glancing around the parking lot.

"Well, I'm at Mia's and I didn't know if you wanted to show up. All of the guys are here."

"Oh, well, umm, I guess I can stop by this afternoon, if you'll still be there then."

"Yes, we should still be here."

"Ok, then. I guess I will see you sometime after lunch," says Satsuki, as she starts to walk to the mall entrance.

"Very well. I will see you then." Pause. "Take care of yourself."

"Ok, bro. Later."

Pushing the off button, she slips the phone back into her pocket. Stepping up to the mall door, she opens the door and walks into the mall. Immediately she is bombarded by noise. Smiling, she nods.

_This is just what I need to take my mind off that weird caller._

Stepping into the first store, she gets ready to spend the morning doing a little shopping.

After two hours of shopping, Satsuki is almost ready to call it a day. Stepping out of the latest store, she shifts the bags that she is carrying.

_I've found some good deals. _

Thinking about getting something to eat, she heads for the food court. Stopping just before she enters the court, she looks around at the different restaurants that are there. Deciding to do a little American food, she heads for the McDonald's. Stepping into line, she looks around the court and her eyes stop on a blue haired man.

What the hell? Is that… 

Not able to see his face, since his back was to her, Satsuki just stares at the blue haired man.

"Miss?"

Shifting her attention forward, she notices that she is next in line. Ordering a hamburger, she waits for her order. Glancing back over her shoulder, she looks for the blue haired man. No longer standing where he was before, she looks around the court.

Where did he go? 

Scanning the court, she sees the blue haired man again, only this time, his back is no longer to her. Locking eyes, Satsuki stares at Cale as he watches her. Smiling to her, Cale nods his head.

"Miss?"

Looking back at the counter, she sees that her order is ready. Smiling her thanks, she grabs her lunch and turns back to look for Cale. Again, no longer where she had seen him, she moves away from the counter, looking out for him.

Finding an empty table, she places her lunch down. Not seeing him, Satsuki sits down and begins to eat her lunch. Never fully relaxing, she keeps her eyes roaming over the food court.

Finishing her lunch, she stands up and brings her tray to the trash can. Emptying her garbage, Satsuki sets her tray on top and moves away. Walking out of the food court, she heads for the exit door.

Passing a side hallway, she's grabbed and a hand is placed over her mouth. Pulled into the less lighted hallway, she's pushed against the wall and gazes into a pair of dark blue eyes. Eyes widening, she drops her bags and stares into the face of the Warlord of Darkness.

"Hello, Satsuki."

Struggling, she fights to push Cale away from her. Leaving his right hand over her mouth, Cale takes his left hand and grabs her arm. Squeezing her right arm, Cale shakes his head.

"You're not getting away from me that easily, little one."

Shaking her head, Satsuki tries to kick him, but Cale just moves enough to avoid the strike. Squeezing her arm a little harder, Cale leans into her face.

"Fight all you want. It won't help."

Glancing around her, Satsuki tries to find someone who can help her.

"No one can see us. I'm using my armor's power. All those mortals can see is a large shadow."

Jerking her head back, she looks at Cale.

"I can do anything I want and no one could stop me."

Staring into his eyes, Satsuki forces herself to relax. Thinking he's won, Cale loosens his grip on her arm. Taking a chance, she lifts her foot and slams her foot down on top of his. Jerking back, Cale drops his hands for a second, but a second is all she needs. Shoving him away from her, Satsuki rushes out of the hallway and into the crowded mall.

Leaning against the wall, Cale watches as she runs away. Smiling, he makes no move to go after her.

_We're not done yet, Satsuki. _

Bending over, Cale picks up her dropped shopping bags and teleports out of the mall.

Thanks for the review. Reviews let me know if I should continue with the story.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Running through the parking lot, Satsuki pulls the keys from her pocket and shoves them into her car. Jumping into her car, she slams the door shut and starts the engine. Putting the car into reverse, she backs out of the space. Shifting the car into drive, she slams her foot down on the gas. Jerking at the change of direction, the car bursts forward. Roaring out of the parking lot, Satsuki pulls onto the street. Heading out of the city, she drives to Mia's house. 

Getting to Mia's in record time, Satsuki puts the car into park. Not getting out of the car, she rests her head against the steering wheel. Taking deep breaths, she tries to calm down.

Oh my god! If I hadn't had gotten away…   
Jerking her head off the wheel, she looks out the front window. Realizing her brother probably knew she was there, she takes the key out of the ignition and opens the door. Stepping out of the car, she shuts the door behind her and walks up to the door.   
Before she could knock, the door is opened. Staying in the doorway, Sage looks at his sister and steps out of the house. Shutting the door behind her, he wraps his arms around her in a rare display of affection.   
"What's wrong?"   
"Cale…"   
Jerking back, Sage catches Satsuki's eyes. "What happened?"   
"The mall…he was there-" 

"Did he hurt you?" Taking a step back, Sage looks his sister over, checking for injuries.

"No, he didn't hurt me," says Satsuki, taking a shuddering breath.

"What happened?" asks Sage again, reassured that his sister was not hurt.

"He was watching me-"

"Did he do anything?"

"…no," lies Satsuki.

"He only watched you?" asks Sage, catching his sister's eyes.

"…yes."

"Has he done anything before this?"

"…no."

Nodding his head, Sage rubs his sisters arms and then steps back. Wincing a little when Sage brushes her upper arm, she realizes Cale probably bruised her arm. Thankful that the bruise lay under her shirt sleeve, she rubs her face.

"Let's go inside," she says, stepping around her brother and opening the door to the house.

Nodding, Sage follows her inside the house. Closing the door behind him, Sage looks around room and notices Ryo standing in the kitchen doorway. Watching as his sister walks into the living room, Sage glances back at Ryo and jerks his head. Understanding, Ryo waits as Sage heads for the kitchen. Letting him pass, Ryo also enters the kitchen.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, Sage puts his hands on the table. Fisting them, Sage finds he doesn't want to sit and stands back up.

"What's wrong?"

Glancing up at his leader, Sage shakes his head.

"Satsuki-"

"She seemed pretty upset."

Nodding his head, Sage looks around the kitchen. "Cale was at the mall. He was watching her."

Taking a step forward, Ryo glances over his shoulder to see if they are alone. Hearing noise from the living room, Ryo turns back to Sage. "Did he do anything?"

"She said no, but I feel like she's not telling me everything," replies Sage, shaking his head. "She doesn't scare easily."

"It's not every day that you see a Warlord watching you. It probably just unnerved her."

"All I can think about is the confrontation at the library. She wasn't scared then, but when she showed up here, she was shaking."

"Well, at the library, she knew that we were coming. She wasn't alone," says Ryo, stepping forward and placing a hand on Sage's shoulder.

"Who's not alone?"

Turning, Ryo and Sage notice that they are no longer alone. Entering the kitchen, Cye glances from Ryo to Sage, waiting for an answer.

"Satsuki had a run in with Cale at the mall," answers Ryo. "She's pretty shaken."

Nodding his head, Cye glances at Sage. "I doubt Cale would do anything at the mall. It's too crowded."

"You never know," replies Sage, shaking his head.

"Never know what?"

Turning, the three men watch as the Ronin of Statra enters the room. Glancing around the room, Rowen stops just inside the doorway.

"Satsuki saw Cale at the mall," answers Cye.

"She ok?" asks Rowen, glancing at Sage.

"Yeah, just a little upset," says Cye.

"Where is she now?" asks Rowen.

"Before Sage and I came in here, she was heading for the living room," replies Ryo.

Nodding his head, Rowen glances around the room.

"Speaking of Cale, what are we going to do about the Warlords?" asks Rowen.

"I've already spoken with Lady Kayra. She knows that they are here," replies Ryo.

"And?" asks Cye.

"And what?" asks Ryo.

"What's she going to do about it?" asks Rowen.

"I told her we could handle it," replies Ryo, glancing at Rowen.

Nodding his head, Rowen turns and leaves the kitchen. Following him out of the room, Cye glances over at Sage.

"Don't worry. We'll keep her safe."

"Thanks, Cye," replies Sage, with a nod.

Smiling, Cye heads out of the room, leaving Ryo and Sage alone.

_Why didn't I tell Sage the truth?_ thinks Satsuki as she watches Kento play the video game. Shaking her head, Satsuki rubs her arms, wincing as she passes over the bruise.

Hearing a shout, Satsuki glances at the TV screen.

"Game Over? What do you mean 'Game Over'?" shouts Kento at the TV.

"That happens if you lose, Kento."

Turning her head, Satsuki watches as Cye and Rowen enter the living room. Nodding a greeting, Satsuki lets her eyes drift around the room. Noticing a picture of the five Ronins with Mia and Yulie, Satsuki looks at Rowen.

"Where Mia?" asks Satsuki.

"Oh, she's in France," replies Rowen, settling down on the couch next to her. "She went to visit her family there."

"Oh," replies Satsuki.

"Yeah. We're staying here," replies Cye. "House sitting, I guess you could say."

Smiling, Satsuki nods her head.

Hearing noise behind her, Satsuki shifts in her seat and glances over her shoulder. Watching Ryo and her brother enter the room, Satsuki glances at the TV and notices that Kento has started another game.

Starting to feel herself relax, Satsuki closes her eyes and falls asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

DREAM

She was back at the mall, only this time, no one was around. Wandering from store to store, she discovers that she is alone.

"Hello?"

Hearing nothing, but the echo of her voice, Satsuki wonders where the people are. Stepping out of yet another store, she is about to walk further down the hallway to check another store when, suddenly, the lights go out. Surrounded by darkness, Satsuki stops still.

Where, before when the lights were on, there was nothing but silence, now she can hear something. Foot steps. Whipping around, Satsuki stares into the pitch darkness.

"Who's there?"

Silence. No longer hearing the foot steps, Satsuki takes a step toward where she had heard the sound.

"What's wrong, Satsuki?"

Whipping around, she stares into the darkness behind her where she had heard the voice come from.

"Who's there?" she calls out again, her voice shaking a little.

"Can't you see me?"

Again hearing the voice from behind her, she spins around. Nothing but darkness.

"I can see you, Satsuki."

Spinning around again, Satsuki trembles.

"Stop it! Leave me alone!"

"I've only just begun, little one."

Grabbed from behind, Satsuki screams…

END DREAM

Screaming herself awake, Satsuki jerks and falls from the couch. Hearing the sound of running feet, she pushes her back against the couch and looks around the room.

"Satsuki!"

Looking up, she sees her brother, followed by the other four Ronins, run into the living room. Kneeling down next to his sister, Sage grabs her arm. Wincing, she pulls away. While pulling away, the sleeve on her shirt shifts and the bruise on her arm is revealed.

"What's that?" asks Sage, as he takes his sister's arm again, this time avoiding the bruise.

"I…I don't know," replies Satsuki, looking away.

Raising his left hand, Sage takes hold of his sister's chin and gently turns her back to look at him.

"Satsuki, who manhandled you?"

Jerking her chin out of Sage's hand, Satsuki glances around the room and finds, not one pair, but five pairs of eyes watching her and waiting for her answer. Silently, she stares at the floor.

"Was it Cale?"

Jerking her head up, she looks at Sage. Nodding her head, she looks away from her brother. Swearing, Sage shifts to stand up and, gently, pulls Satsuki to her feet.

"Why didn't you say so earlier? You told Sage that nothing happened," says Rowen.

"I didn't want Sage to know," replies Satsuki, staring at the floor.

"Why?" asks Sage.

"I was afraid-"

"Afraid of Cale?" asks Cye.

"No," replies Satsuki, shaking her head. "I was afraid Cale was trying to bait Sage using me. I was afraid that he was trying to make Sage mad enough to come after him."

"Oh, you better believe I'm going after that son of a bitch," replies Sage, nodding his head. "He's gone too far."

"Please don't, Sage," replies Satsuki, placing a hand on her brother's arm.

"He's right, Satsuki," says Ryo.

Turning, she looks at Ryo.

"Him coming after us is one thing," continues Ryo. "Him going after you is something else."

"It's probably what he wants," pleads Satsuki.

"Then he's about to get what he wants," replies Kento.

Shaking her head, Satsuki steps back. Glancing at his sister, Sage notices as her eyes fill with tears.

"Don't cry," says Sage, placing a hand on Satsuki's shoulder. "I'll keep you safe."

"It's not me I'm worried about," shouts Satsuki, jerking away from Sage and rushing to the door.

Opening the door and slamming it shut behind her, Satsuki rushes to her car. Taking out the car keys, she opens the door and jumps into her car. Hearing Sage hurrying after her, she turns on the engine, puts the car into drive, and speeds down the driveway and away from the house.

Pulling into the car garage, Satsuki hears her cell phone ring again. Ignoring it, Satsuki drives her car into a parking space and stops. Turning off the engine, Satsuki sits in her car.

A minute goes by, then two, before she makes any moves. Hearing her phone ring again, she slips the phone out of her pocket and shuts it off. Slipping the phone back into her pocket, she opens the door and steps out into the garage.

Shutting the car door, she starts to head for the elevator to take her to her apartment, when the lights suddenly go out. Stopping, Satsuki looks around. Though the garage isn't completely dark, Satsuki can't see much of anything.

Slowly, her eyes adjust to the darkness and she begins to walk toward the steps, figuring that whatever took out of the lights probably made the elevator stop functioning as well.

Half way to the stairs, she stops as she hears a sound. Laughter. Turning around, Satsuki glances behind her. Standing not 20 feet away, she can make out the figure of a man.

"Who are you?" she calls out. Though she can see that someone is standing there, she can't see much of him to know who is it.

"Come now, Satsuki. After all this time, you should know who I am."

Stepping into a small pool of light, Satsuki's eyes widen as she realizes that man that is sharing the garage with her is Cale dressed in his subarmor. Taking a step back, she looks over her shoulder to see how close she is to the stairs.

"You won't make it."

Jerking her head, she looks back at Cale and notices that he is now closer.

"I'd catch you before you even closed half the distance."

"Why won't you leave me alone? I know it's you." She was proud that her voice sounded level and calm.

"Whatever do you mean?" asks Cale, smiling.

"The dreams. I don't know how, but you're behind them."

"Perhaps I am," replies Cale, taking a step closer to her.

Taking a step back, Satsuki glares at him.

"You can't make up your mind if you want to be brave or not," says Cale, taking another step toward her.

"Fuck off."

"What a lovely suggestion. Perhaps you would like to help me do so?"

Glaring at him, she says nothing. Smiling, Cale takes another step toward her. Backing away, Satsuki takes a step back.

"You do realize that if I wanted you, I could just do this…"

Suddenly appearing right in front of her, Cale grabs her arms. Shocked at seeing him directly in front of her, where he had been almost 20 feet away, Satsuki can only stare.

"You never had a chance of getting away from me," says Cale, smiling down at her.

Raising a hand from her arm, Cale strokes her cheek.

"Satsuki!"

Recognizing the sound of her brother's voice, Satsuki turns her head and looks toward the garage entrance. Running down the ramp, Sage was rushing toward her, followed closely by the other four Ronins.

Glaring at the unwanted company, Cale lets Satsuki go and takes a step back.

"Until next time," says Cale and then fades away before the Ronins can stop him.

Reaching his sister's side, Sage glances at where the Warlord of Darkness used to be before turning his attention to Satsuki.

"Why'd you rush off? Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

Bombarded with questions from her brother, Satsuki shakes her head.

"I'm ok."

"But-"

Suddenly the lights turn back on and Satsuki blinks her eyes to adjust to the abrupt brightness. Refocusing her eyes on Sage, Satsuki raises a hand to stop her brother from asking more questions.

"I don't want to talk right now. I'm tired."

Turning away from her brother, Satsuki heads for the elevator. Following her, Sage places a hand on her arm to stop her. Turning her around, Sage looks over his sister, wanting to reassure himself.

"I think it would be best if you came back with us."

"No."

"But, Satsuki-"

"No. I won't let him run my life or make me afraid," interrupts Satsuki.

"But what if he comes after you when I'm not around?" asks Sage.

"You can't watch me 24 hours a day," replies Satsuki, as she starts to walk to the elevator again. "I'll be ok."

"But-"

"No, Sage," replies Satsuki, stopping at the elevator and pushing the up button.

Shaking his head, Sage steps up and kisses Satsuki on the forehead. Leaning his forehead down to touch hers, Sage closes his eyes.

"If anything happens to you…"

"It won't," replies Satsuki, forcing a smile.

Nodding his head, Sage turns back to his friends. Walking over to join them, Sage takes one last look at his sister before she steps onto the elevator.

Watching as the doors close, Satsuki leans against the wall of the elevator as it brings her to her floor. Hearing a ping, Satsuki watches as the door open and she steps out onto her floor. Walking down to her apartment, Satsuki uses her key and opens her door. Stepping inside, she closes the door behind her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Sunlight flooding the room, Satsuki sits up in bed. Though no dreams plague her sleep, she tossed and turned all night. Pushing the covers back, Satsuki gets out of bed. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she walks over to her closet and pulls out some clothes.

_I might as well get ready, even if I don't have to meet the girls till lunch. _

Walking over to her dresser, she opens a drawer and pulls out a clean pair of underwear and a bra. Opening her bedroom door, she walks out into the living room. Walking through the living room, she heads of the bathroom and a shower.

Hearing the shower running, Cale thinks about walking into the bathroom on her. Smiling, he instead heads into the living room. Placing the bags on the couch, he decides to look at her bedroom.

Opening the door to her room, he steps inside and looks at her bed. Noticing the rumpled sheets, he smiles.

_I don't even have to disturb her dreams now. She does it all on her own. _

Hearing the sound of the water turning off, Cale fades from the room.

Towel in hand, Satsuki steps out of the bathroom. Walking through the room, she stops as she notices her shopping bags on the couch. Staring at the bags, she remembers where she left them last.

_Cale. When he grabbed me, I dropped them. Oh my god! Was he here? They weren't there when I went into the bathroom. _

Shaking, she heads for her bedroom. Toweling her hair, Satsuki picks up her brush. Pulling the brush through her hair, she leaves the bedroom and looks around the apartment. Finding that she is, in fact, alone, she begins to calm down.

Ring. Stopping, Satsuki looks at her phone. Afraid to answer it, she lets the answering machine pick up.

"Hey, Satsuki? You there?"

Rushing over to the phone, she stops the answering machine and picks up the phone.

"Hey, Emiko. Sorry, I was in the shower."

"Not a problem. I was just calling to see what time we were meeting Matsuko for lunch."

"Umm, does noon sound good?"

"Sure. I'll give her a call to let her know. Oh, where are we eating? Do you want to do the mall?"

"Umm, no mall," says Satsuki, shaking her head. _He might be there._

"Ok, where then?"

"Didn't a new place open up on Main Street?"

"Yeah. Want to try that?"

"Sure. I'll meet you there at noon."

"Ok. See ya then."

"Bye," says Satsuki and then hangs up the phone.

Stepping away from the phone, she turns back when she hears it ring. Thinking it's Emiko again, Satsuki picks up the phone.

"Hello?"

"You forgot your bags at the mall yesterday. I dropped them off for you while you were in the shower. Did you find them?"

Almost forgetting to breathe, Satsuki can only listen to the sound of his voice. Shaking herself out of it, she slams the phone down on the cradle.

"Fuck you, Cale," whispers Satsuki, backing away from the phone. "I won't let you do this to me."

Rushing into her room, Satsuki grabs a pair of sandals. Slipping them on, she half runs to her front door. Grabbing her keys from the table near the door, she slams the door shut behind her and locks the door.

Looking at the clock on her dash, Satsuki realizes that it's almost noon. Turning onto Main Street, she quickly finds the restaurant and pulls into a parking space in front. Slipping out of her car, she heads for the door. Resting her hand on the door, she opens it and steps into the restaurant. Bombard by noises, she smiles.

_This is what I need. Distraction. _

"Satsuki!"

Hearing her name, she turns and sees that Emiko and Matsuko are already there. Waving, she moves to join them at their booth. Sliding in next to Emiko, Satsuki places her hands on top of the table.

"Hey, guys. Have you been here long?"

"No," replies Matsuko. "We just got here."

Nodding her head, Satsuki grabs one of the menus. "Anything look good?"

"There's a rice dish that I saw," replies Emiko, gazing down at her menu.

Nodding her head, Satsuki looks over the menu and decides sushi dish. Waiting for the waitress to show up, she looks around the room. Not seeing anyone she knows, she turns her attention back to the table.

"How are classes going, Matsuko?" asks Satsuki.

"Ok, though I will be glad when this semester is done. I have a lot of hard classes," replies Matsuki, setting down her menu.

Sensing a presence, Satsuki looks up and sees that their waitress as arrived.

"Do you know what you would like?" asks the waitress.

Nodding their heads, the girls proceed to order their lunch. Writing everything down, the waitress takes the menus and leaves the table to place their orders.

"Have you spoken with your brother recently, Satsuki?" asks Matsuko.

"Yeah, I saw him yesterday," replies Satsuki, glancing around the room again.

"He's so cute," says Matsuko, with a giggle.

"I wouldn't know," replies Satsuki, shaking her head and smiling.

"Oh, don't bring up men with Satsuki, Matsuko," says Emiko, winking.

"What do you mean?" asks Matsuko, glancing between Emiko and Satsuki.

"Well, let's just say, Satsuki's experience with men is…nothing," says Emiko, laughing. "She's never even been kissed."

"I have too," replies Satsuki, feeling a blush steal across her face.

"Kazuo doesn't count," returns Emiko, laughing harder.

"Who's Kazuo?" asks Matsuko, glancing between Emiko and Satsuki.

"A guy we knew in high school," replies Satsuki, blushing harder.

"And why doesn't he count?" asks Matsuko.

"Well, let's just say, he's not interested in people who wear skirts," says Emiko, winking.

"He's gay?" asks Matsuko, raising a brow.

"Yup and I don't mean happy," chirps Emiko. Glancing over at Satsuki, she laughs again. "Our dear Satsuki is a 19-year-old virgin."

"Geez, can you say that a little louder?" asks Satsuki, covering her face. Dropping her hands, she glares at her best friend. "And, I might ask, what's wrong with being…that anyway?"

Saying nothing, Emiko just laughs.

Sitting in the booth across from them, two men pretend to show no interest in the conversation that the girls are having. On outward appearance, they look like two normal Japanese men, except when Dais is around, nothing is ever "normal".

Cale glances at Satsuki out of the corner of his eye. Smiling, he leans back into the booth. Dais stares down into his tea, then looks up.

"And why was I needed for this?" asks Dais, raising a brow.

"Well, I couldn't sit here as my normal self," replies Cale.

"True," replies Dais, nodding. "Are we done?"

"Oh yes," replies Cale, grinning.

Standing up, the two men leave the restaurant.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Standing at the mirror, Cale watches as Satsuki enters her apartment. After finishing her lunch with her friends, she had gone out to Mia's house to show her brother and the other Ronins that she was ok.

Having been invited to dinner, she stayed till late in the evening before heading out after a dinner Cye had made. While watching her the whole time, Cale replayed the conversation he had overheard in the restaurant.

_A virgin? Perhaps I am going about this all wrong._

Hearing foot steps behind him, he glances over his shoulder and watches as Sekhmet joins him at the mirror.

"What are you going to do tonight?" asks Sekhmet, after watching her for a little while.

"Nothing."

"What?" asks Sekhmet, looking at Cale.

"I've decided to change tactics. I'm going to give her a night off before I start my new plan," replies Cale, waving his hand over the mirror. The picture fades away.

"New plan?" asks Sekhmet, raising a brow.

"I found out something very interesting at lunch," replies Cale, turning and walking away from the mirror.

"And?" asks Sekhmet, growing impatient.

"Our dear Satsuki has never been with a man," replies Cale, glances over his shoulder. "I've decided to give her some experience."

Stepping out of the room, Cale leaves Sekhmet alone. Pausing in thought for a second, Sekhmet turns his attention to the mirror. Raising a hand, he activates the mirror. Again the image of Satsuki flashes onto the mirror.

_I must admit, the idea of fucking that girl sounds very nice. Perhaps Cale wouldn't mind sharing her. _

While on screen, Satsuki enters her bedroom and proceeds to remove her clothes. Throwing her clothes to the floor, Satsuki stands naked in her room before she reaches for her pj's on her bed. Breasts bouncing, she grabs her pants. Slipping her pants up her legs and onto her hips, she grabs her top and slips it over her head.

Groaning, Sekhmet turns away from the mirror.

"Problem?"

Looking toward the doorway, Sekhmet notices that he is no longer alone. Entering the room, Dais glances at the mirror. Raising a brow, Dais looks from the mirror to Sekhmet.

"Cale might not like you watching her."

"I don't care what Cale likes," snaps Sekhmet.

Shrugging his shoulders, Dais watches as Sekhmet passes his hand over the mirror. Watching Sekhmet walk away from the mirror, Dais smirks as he notices that Sekhmet isn't walking normal.

"Saw more than you wanted?" asks Dais.

"Nothing that I can't handle," replies Sekhmet, leaving the room to head for his chambers.

Laughing, Dais also leaves the room.

Waking up the next morning, Satsuki stretches her hands above her head and smiles. Pushing back the covers, she jumps out of bed. Heading for her closet, she grabs a pair of pants and a shirt. Before leaving her room, she also stops at her dresser for some underwear and a bra.

Humming, she heads for the shower. Stepping into the bathroom, she throws off her pj's, turns on the hot water, and jumps into the shower.

_What a nice morning! I slept great last night._

Continuing to hum, she lathers her hair up with soap. Leaning under the spray of water, she rinses her hair out. Grabbing the bar of soap, she cleans off her body and then steps under the water again.

Feeling clean, she turns off the water and pushes back the shower curtain. Stepping out of the shower, she grabs a towel and dries herself off. Grabbing a second towel for her hair, she wraps it around her head.

Slipping her clothes on, she leaves the bathroom and heads for her bedroom. Toweling her hair along the way, she puts a little skip in her step. Stopping just before she reaches her bedroom, she hears the phone ring. Walking over to the phone, she answers it.

"Hello?"

"How are you feeling today, Satsuki?"

"Great, Sage!"

"Has Cale bothered you?"

"Not since…ummm…not sure," replies Satsuki, even though she remembers that it was only yesterday. _No need for Sage to know about the phone calls. _

"Ok. If things change, let me know."

"Will do," replies Satsuki, nodding her head even though he couldn't see it. "Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Satsuki heads for her bedroom. Entering, she grabs the brush off her dresser. Running it through her hair, Satsuki sets the brush back down.

Walking back into the living room, she grabs her school books. Deciding to spend the day doing her homework, she settles onto the couch and opens the first book.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's note: At a special request by my best friend, I am adding this chapter sooner than I intended to. Happy Birthday, Melissa.**_

Chapter 11

Tossing the book next to her on the couch, Satsuki raises a hand to the back of her neck and rubs. Standing up, she stretches and glances at the wall clock.

_Eight hours of reading, but I am done. I won't have to worry about any more work till next weekend. _

Hearing noises from her stomach, she pats her belly. Smiling, she heads for the kitchen.

_I skipped lunch and my stomach is letting me know. I should get something to eat._

Opening her fridge, she glances over what she has. Deciding to finish her left over rice dish that she had made earlier that week, she grabs the dish. Walking over to her microwave, she pops open the door and slips the leftovers in. Shutting the door, she presses the reheat button and then turns back to the fridge.

Opening the door again, she grabs a can of Coke and shuts the door. Hearing a ping, she turns to the microwave and notices her food is ready. Walking over to the microwave, she opens the door and pulls her food out. Walking over to the kitchen table, she sets down her food and drink. Pulling out a chair, she settles in to eat her dinner.

Standing in front of the mirror, Cale watches Satsuki as she eats her dinner. Hearing a noise behind him, Cale glances over his shoulder and watches as Dais walk into the room. Shifting his attention back to the mirror, Cale ignores Dais.

"Are you starting your new plan tonight?"

Nodding his head, Cale glances at Dais. "By the time I am done with her, she'll never be able to claim no experience again.

Smirking, Dais nods his head. "Are you going to continue with the other stalking?"

"Yes, just not at the same level."

Saying nothing more, Dais turns and leaves the room. Watching him go, Cale passes his hand over the mirror. Closing his eyes, Cale teleports from the room and onto the street outside Satsuki's apartment.

Walking over to the phone booth, Cale opens the door and steps inside. Lifting the phone from the receiver, Cale puts in some money and dials her number. It's rings twice, then it's picked up.

"Hello?"

Smiling, Cale glances up to her apartment building. "Did you think I had forgotten about you?"

Dead silence. As Cale listens carefully, he can hear the sound of heavy breathing.

"You won't get away, Satsuki."

"Leave me alone!"

Laughing, Cale hangs up the phone. Stepping out of the booth, Cale teleports back to the lair.

Putting the phone back on the cradle, Satsuki paces around the living room. Close to tears, she fights to control her breathing.

Why won't he leave me alone? 

Rubbing her arms, Satsuki looks around her apartment. Not knowing what to do now, she decides that a nice movie might be what she needs to get her mind off of Cale's phone call.

Grabbing another cartoon, she puts it into her VCR and presses play. Forcing herself to sit down, the movie rolls for only ten minutes before she's out of her chair and pacing the room.

Deciding to leave the movie running, for background noise, Satsuki walks over to the living room window and looks out at the city below. Allowing her mind to drift, she loses track of time.

After what seemed like only minutes, she turns around and realizes that the movie is over. Shaking her head, she walks over and shuts off the VCR and TV. Turning off the lights in the living room, she heads for the bedroom.

Shutting the door behind her, she slips off her clothes. Leaning over her bed, she grabs her pj's and slips them on. Pushing back her covers, she slips into bed and turns off the lamp next to her bed.

Settling into bed, Satsuki closes her eyes and waits for sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

DREAM

Opening her eyes, Satsuki finds herself in a large, European style bed. Blue drapes fall from the canopy, leaving her in a world of shadows.

Shifting in the bed, she looks down to find that she is not wearing the cotton pj's she went to bed in. Instead, she finds herself draped in a midnight blue negligee. Blushing at the sight of so much skin showing, she looks up to see a man standing at the foot of the bed.

"Who are you?"

Cocking his head, the man looks at her. "Perhaps that should be my question."

"What?"

Laughing, the man walks around to the side of the bed. "You're in my bed." Reaching the bedside, the man lifts a hand to the lamp that is giving light to the room. Turning the light down to a low glow, the man looks at Satsuki again.

Staring at the man, Satsuki realizes she can't see enough of the man to know who he is. Feeling vulnerable, Satsuki places her hand at the neckline of the negligee. Noticing his eyes following her hand, she drops her hand to her lap.

Laughing, the man pushes back the drapes and slides onto the bed. Startled, Satsuki pushes away from him.

"Where are you going, little one?"

Reaching for her, the man grabs her arm and pulls her to him. Sliding over the black silk sheets, Satsuki finds herself in his arms. Raising a hand, the man caresses her cheek. Leaning down, he takes her lips with his.

Moaning, she leans into the man's arms. _It's just a dream. No reason I can't enjoy this._

Sliding his hand down from her cheek, he brushes the outer edge of her breast. Gasping, she breaks the kiss.

"What-"

Chuckling, the man cups her breast. Feeling him pinch her nipple, Satsuki arches her back, pushing her breast further into his hand.

Taking his other hand, he places it on her shoulder and gently pushes her down onto the bed. Raising her eyes, she looks into his eyes…

END DREAM

Bolting upright in bed, Satsuki places a hand over her heart. Panting, she glances around the room and realizes she's alone.

I've heard of wet dreams before, but what was that? 

Shifting in her bed, she realizes that not only is she breathing hard, but her underwear is soaking wet. Embarrassed, she slips out of the bed and walks over to her dress. Opening a drawer, she grabs a fresh pair of underwear and changes.

Still breathing hard, she walks back over to her bed and sits on the edge. Trying to calm down, she leans her head back and breaths deeply.

_It was only a dream. _Shaking her head, she swings her legs onto the bed and under the covers. Pulling her blankets to her chin, she closes her eyes and falls asleep.

Opening his eyes, Cale looks up at the mirror. Smiling, he watches as Satsuki bolts awake. Shifting in his sitting position, he notices that his cock is hard and throbbing. Ignoring it, he inhales sharply as he watches Satsuki slip out of bed and change her underwear.

"I take it the dream was a success."

Standing up, Cale looks over at Dais. Smiling, he nods his head and returns his attention to the mirror.

"I've decided to take it slow in the dream."

Looking over at Cale, Dais raises a brow. "Why?"

"I want to seduce her. I want to make her own body betray her. That way, when I take her for real…" Smirking, Cale lets Dais imagine the rest.

Nodding his head, Dais glances once more at the mirror and then turns to walk away. Stopping at the door way, Dais glances back at Cale.

"A slow seduction might also play hell on your body."

"But it will make taking her for real all the sweeter," replies Cale.

Nodding his head, Dais leaves the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 

Opening her eyes, Satsuki looks around her bedroom. Noticing the bright sunlight streaming in through her window, she glances at the clock.

_Shit! I was supposed to be up hours ago! I missed my Monday morning class._

Sitting up in bed, she looks at her computer in the corner of the room. Getting out of bed, she walks over to it and turns it on. While waiting for it to boot up, she walks over to the closet and pulls out some clothing.

Glancing over at her computer, she realizes it's ready to sign on. Walking over, she types in her password and presses enter. Walking over to her dresser, she grabs some underwear and a bra. Placing all her clothes on the bed, she walks back over to her computer and sits down.

Double clicking on her Internet icon, she opens up her email. Writing a quick email to her professor, she apologizes for missing class. Explaining that she had a bad night, she lets her professor know that she will see him later this week to find out what she missed. Clicking the send button, she slips out of her chair and picks up her clothes from the bed.

Heading for the bathroom, she quickly jumps into the shower. Minutes later she steps out of the shower, towels off, and gets dressed. Walking to her bedroom, she towels her hair and grabs her brush from her dresser. Brushing her hair, she grabs a hair tie and throws her hair up.

Rushing, she grabs her books from where she left them on couch last night. Slipping on a pair of shoes and grabbing her keys, she heads out of the apartment. Heading for the elevator, she pushes the down button and waits for the elevator.

_At least I won't be late for my afternoon class._

Hearing the ping of the elevator, she steps in as soon as the doors open. Pushing the button for the garage, she waits as the door shuts and the elevator begins to go down. Tapping her foot, she hears the ping of the elevator again and realizes the elevator has stopped.

As soon as the door opens, she steps out and rushes to her car. Opening the door, she gets inside and throws her books into the passenger seat. Starting the car, she backs out of her space and, shifting the car into drive, pulls away.

Glancing out of the window, Sage watches the driveway. Shifting his weight, he turns away from the window.

"Looking for someone?"

Turning, Sage notices that Rowen has joined him in the living room.

"Aren't you up early? Or is it past noon already?"

Laughing, Rowen just shakes his head. Saying nothing for a moment, he watches Sage. Cocking his head, Rowen places a hand on Sage's shoulder.

"Something bothering you, Sage?"

"I'm worried about Satsuki," replies Sage, shaking his head. "I feel like I'm somehow to blame for this."

"Careful. You're beginning to sound like Ryo."

A short laugh escapes from Sage. Raising a hand, he runs it through his hair.

"It's not your fault."

Glancing past Rowen's shoulder, Sage notices that Cye has entered the room.

"You do know that, right?" asks Cye, joining Rowen and Sage at the window.

"Cale wouldn't have known about her if it hadn't been for me," replies Sage.

"The Warlords found out about her because she helped Yulie," says Ryo, entering the room. "Being your sister had nothing to do with it."

Nodding his head, Sage takes one more look out the window.

"Hey! What's going on?"

Turning, the four Ronins watch as the last member of their team enters the room. Pausing, Kento cocks his head and looks at Sage.

"Waiting for your sister to show?"

Nodding his head, Sage takes one more glance out the window.

"Dude, she has a class now," says Kento.

"I think he knows that, Kento," replies Cye.

"Hey! Just trying to help," replies Kento with a shrug before turning his attention to the TV.

Shaking his head, Sage takes one more look outside before walking over to the couch.

"Mind if I play a game with you?"

Glancing up at Sage, Kento shakes his head. "Anytime."

Sitting down, Sage picks up a controller, waiting as Kento selects a game.

Getting out of class, Satsuki takes a short cut between two building. Going over the class discussion in her mind, she doesn't realize that someone is following her until it's too late. Jerked from behind, a hand placed over her mouth, Satsuki is pulled into a doorway.

Struggling against the hands that hold her, Satsuki tries to bring her foot down on the foot of the one behind her. Hitting nothing, she struggles to get her arms free.

"You don't think I'd allow you to hit me again, did you?"

Freezing, Satsuki's eyes widen. _Cale…_

"How was class?" whispers Cale directly into her ear.

Shivering from the sensation, Satsuki tries to pull away. Laughing at her attempt, Cale draws her in closer to his body.

Tilting his head, Cale brushes his mouth against her ear. Blowing gently into her ear, Cale smiles as he feels her tremble in his arms.

"You're mine, Satsuki," whisper Cale. Sticking out his tongue, Cale traces her ear with just the tip.

Close to tears now, Satsuki tries to jerk free from Cale's hold. Opening his arms, Cale allows her to pull free. Whipping around, Satsuki faces the Dark Warlord of Darkness.

"Till next time," says Cale, with a smirk before fading away.

Looking around, Satsuki can find no sign of Cale anywhere.

_He's gone! Like he was never here!_

Rubbing her arms, Satsuki rushes out of the doorway. Almost running to her car, she pulls her keys out and opens her car door. Slamming the door and locking it, Satsuki rests her head against the steering wheel.

Feeling her cheek dampen, Satsuki wipes her tears away. Taking a deep breath, she starts the car and pulls out of the parking space. Driving a little fast, Satsuki makes it back to the apartment complex in record time.

Pulling into her parking space, she turns the car off, opens the door, and gets out of the car. Shutting the car door, she rushes across the parking lot to the elevator. Pushing the up button, she glances around the darken garage. Hearing a ping, she jerks, until she realizes it's the elevator.

Stepping inside, she rides the elevator to her floor. Stepping onto her floor, she rushes down the hallway to her door and, using her key, unlocks and opens her door. Rushing into her apartment, she slams the door shut behind her. Leaning against the door, she breathes deeply.

_He's just trying to fuck with my head._ Slamming her fist against the door, she leans her head back. _And he's doing a good job of it too!_

Pushing away from the door, Satsuki tosses her books on the table and walks into the living room. Dropping down on the couch, Satsuki closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

DREAM

Opening her eyes, Satsuki finds herself in the same bed as before. Glancing down at herself, she notices that, instead of a blue negligee, she's wearing a black one. Turning her head to the right, she realizes that she isn't alone in the bed.

"You're here?" she asks of the man.

"Where else would I be?" replies the man, turning onto his side. "Remember, this is my bed."

Glancing down, Satsuki notices the sheet resting on his hips. Shifting a bit in the bed, the sheet slips further down, revealing a hip. Realizing that the man is naked under the sheet, Satsukui blushes.

Grinning, the man notices what she has seen. Raising his hand, he caresses her face before slipping his hand to rest on her leg.

Leaning in, the man takes her mouth with his. With a little pressure, she opens her mouth to him and feels his tongue thrust into her mouth. Hesitantly, she uses her tongue to dual with his.

Sliding his hand up her leg, he slips under her the negligee. Feeling his fingers brush the curls at her apex, she tenses.

"I won't hurt you," he whispers. "I just want to show you what your body is capable of."

Nodding her head, she closes her eyes and spreads her thighs. Without any more encouragement needed, he touches her intimately. Moaning, she spreads her legs further apart. Testing her wetness, he finds her clit and begins to play with it.

Arching her back, Satsuki cries out. Chuckling, he finds her entrance and thrusts a finger inside. Crying out again, she raises a hand and rests it on his shoulder. Pumping her with his finger, he can feel the pressure beginning to build.

Grinding her hips into the bed, Satsuki cries get louder as she nears her climax. Just as the pressure becomes almost unbearable, she feels an explosion rip through her body. Screaming, she rides the waves of pleasure that course through her body.

Opening her eyes, she gazes into the face of her lover…

END DREAM

Jerking awake with a moan on her lips, Satsuki becomes aware of that she is no longer in the dream. Glancing around the living room, she notices that she was only asleep for a couple hours.

Standing up, she shakes her head and walks to the bathroom. Once inside, she turns on the cold water. Cupping her hands under the water, she raises the water and splashes her hot face. Grabbing a towel, she pats her face dry.

_Oh my god! What was that about?_

Realizing that her underwear was again soaking, Satsuki leaves the bathroom and heads for her bedroom. Walking up to her dresser, she opens a drawer and pulls out a clean pair of underwear.

_At this rate, I'll need to do laundry every other day so that I'll have clean underwear._

Stripping off her pants, she changes her underwear before slipping her pants back on. Leaving her bedroom, she heads for the kitchen. Making herself a sandwich, Satsuki eats her meal in the kitchen before heading back into the living room.

Turning on the TV, she turns it to the news before settling back onto the couch.

Passing a hand over the mirror, Cale smiles.

_If she is this sensitive in the dreams, I can only imagine what will happen when I touch her for real. _

Chuckling to himself, Cale turns from the mirror. Deciding to leave the room and go to his chamber, Cale comes up short when he realizes that he is not alone.

"How did it go?" asks Sekhmet, leaning against the door frame.

"Everything is on schedule," replies Cale, stopping in front of Sekhmet.

"These dreams seem to be giving you a hard time," says Sekhmet, glancing down at Cale's crotch. "Do you need any help?"

Nose flaring, Cale pushes Sekhmet out of his way. "Unlike you, I prefer a woman's hand."

Letting Cale go, Sekhmet watches him for a moment before entering the room. Moving to the mirror, he passes a hand over it to activate it. The image of Satsuki fills the mirror.

_Oh, I can think of one woman's hand that I'd like to feel._

Reaching down, Sekhmet adjusts his hardening cock. Squeezing once, Sekhmet groans before dropping his hand.

_Soon, little one. Once Cale brings you here, I'll show you what the Warlord of Venom is capable of._

Passing a hand over the mirror, the image of Satsuki fades away. Turning away, Sekhmet leaves the room.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

Shutting off the TV, Satsuki glances at the phone. Sighing, she gets off the couch and heads for her bedroom.

_Time for bed. I don't want to be late to tomorrow's class. _

Shutting the door, she stripes off her clothes. Standing naked in the center of her room, Satsuki raises a hand and touches her breast. Rubbing her nipple gently, she can feel it beginning to harden. Dropping her hand, Satsuki grabs her pj's and dresses quickly.

Throwing back her covers, she slips into bed and closes her eyes.

DREAM

Finding herself back in the same bed as before, Satsuki glances down at herself. Again wearing a negligee, this time red, Satsuki blushes. Turning her attention away from what she's wearing, she finds her lover lying next to her. Rolling down onto his side, he looks down at her.

"You can't seem to get enough," he whispers, raising a hand to caress her face.

Nodding, she closes her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hand. Smiling, he slips his hand down her body and grabs the edge of her negligee. Slipping it up her body, he slides the negligee over her head and drops it over the side of the bed.

Shy, Satsuki moves to cover herself. Grabbing her hands, the man pulls her arms away from her body so that he can see her whole body.

"So beautiful," he whispers, as he leans in to nuzzle her neck.

Moaning, she arches her neck. Turning his head, he takes her ear into his mouth and sucks on it. Gently tugging on her ear, he slides a hand over her breast and plucks at her nipple.

Groaning, she arches her back. Raising himself over her, he chuckles. Lower his head, he closes his mouth over her nipple. Crying out, Satsuki trembles.

While feeding on her breast, he lowers his hand to the curls at her apex. Spreading her thighs, he slips his hand between her legs and touches her. Finding her wet, he trusts a finger inside and begins to pump her.

Crying out at the double assault, Satsuki arches her back. Feeling the pressure building, she grinds her hips into his hand. Lights flashing in her eyes, she feels her body explode.

Taking a deep breath, Satsuki tries to calm down. Lifting her gaze to meet his face…

END DREAM

Jerking awake, the first thing Satsuki notices is how her body is throbbing with need. Hesitantly at first, she slips a hand into her pants and touches herself.

Rubbing her clit, Satsuki groans out loud. Rubbing faster, she brings herself to a climax. Shuddering, she slips her hand out of her pants and takes a shuddering breath.

Sighing, she slips off her bed and leaves her room. Heading for the bathroom, she turns on the water. Running her hands under the water, she grabs a bar of soap and cleans her hands. Turning off the water, she takes a towel and dries her hands. Walking back to her room, she sits down on the edge of her bed.

_Oh my god! What's wrong with me? I've never touched myself before._

Rubbing her face, she falls back onto the bed. Staring up at her ceiling, she closes her eyes.

_Is Cale behind this? He was affecting my dreams before, but I can't see him doing this. This is so…I don't know what these dreams are. _

Crawling back under her sheets, Satsuki closes her eyes and falls back asleep.

Getting up the next morning, she quickly went through her morning routine. Since she had missed yesterday's class, she got up a little early so that she could go to the college early.

Parking her car in the student lot, she went to speak with her professor from the class she had missed. Finding out what had happened in class, she promises her professor just before leaving that she would make sure to be in the next class.

Leaving the office building, she walks across the campus to get to her class. Stopping just at the door to the building, she glances around and notices a man watching her from across the street. Focusing her attention on the man, she notices right off that it's not Cale.

_He's made me nervous of anyone I catch watching me._

Shrugging her shoulder, she turns back to the building and ignores the green haired man.

Watching her disappear into the building, Sekhmet crosses the street and enters the building that Satsuki had walked into. After a quick search, he finds her classroom and stands outside the door and watches her through the glass.

Licking his lips, Sekhmet waits for Satsuki to look up. Feeling as though someone is watching her, Satsuki glances up to the door and catches sight of Sekhmet. Freezing, she just stares at the Warlord of Venom.

Licking his lips, Sekhmet winks at her and then turns away from the door. Staring through the door window, Satsuki shakes her head and lowers her gaze.

_Great! If one Warlord wasn't enough, now Sekhmet is watching me. _

Hearing her professor enter the classroom, Satsuki forces herself to pay attention to the class.

Teleporting into the main room, Sekhmet immediately notices that he is not alone.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing?"

Glancing at Cale, Sekhmet smirks. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't fucking lie to me. I watched the whole thing with the mirror," replies Cale, striding over to Sekhmet. Raising a fist, Cale punches Sekhmet in the face.

Knocked back, Sekhmet glares at Cale. Walking into the room at that moment, Dais glances between the two Warlords.

"What now?" demands Dais.

Ignoring Dais, Cale glares at Sekhmet. "Leave her alone. She's not for you."

"I thought she was meant as a quick fuck. When did she start to mean something more?" sneers Sekhmet.

"If I catch you following her again, you'll answer to me," states Cale and then strides out of the room.

Watching him leave, Sekhmet boils inside. Shaking his head, Dais leaves the room. Turning to the mirror, Sekhmet waves his hand and Satsuki appears on the screen.

Rubbing his jaw, Sekhmet smiles evilly. _That was a mistake, Cale, a mistake that you will pay for._

……………………

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews. They really help me to know that people are interested in the story. For all those who have been faithfully following the story all summer, THANKS. Also, with the school year starting again, I have to go back to teaching. This doesn't mean that I am stopping the story, but it does mean that the chapters are going to come slower. Thanks for understanding!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

Trying to forget about Sekhmet, Satsuki leaves her class two hours later and returns home. Opening the door to her apartment, she tosses her books down and strides into her living room. Noticing a blinking red light on her phone, she walks over and pushes play on her answering machine.

Beep. "Satsuki, it's Sage. I just wanted to check on how you were doing. Also, I didn't know if you'd like to come out to Mia's tomorrow for lunch. Call me back." Beep.

Smiling, she reaches for the phone, but before she can pick up, the phone rings. Picking the phone off the cradle, she places the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Satsuki," replies Cale.

Taking a deep breath, Satsuki clenches her fist. "Leave me alone. I'm tired of this game you're playing."

"Game? Oh, this isn't a game. This is very real."

"Then go play 'real' with someone else," snaps Satsuki.

"I'd rather play with you."

"Tough."

"I'm coming, Satsuki. Be ready."

Slamming the phone down, Satsuki glances toward the door. Grabbing her keys, she opens the door and shuts the door. Locking up her apartment, she half runs from the apartment.

_You may be coming, but I'm not going to wait for you._

Running down the stairs, she steps out of her apartment building and into the light. Turning right, she starts to walk away from her apartment. Unnoticed by her, Cale steps out of the phone booth from across the street and follows.

Speed walking down a couple blocks, Satsuki glances over her shoulder. Realizing how foolish she is being, she slows down to a more comfortable pace. Walking past the opening of an alley, she feels two hands grab her and pull her into the darkened alley.

Taking a breath to scream, she feels a hand placed over her mouth. Struggling, Satsuki rams her elbow into the person behind her. But instead of gaining her freedom, pain shoots up her arm from her elbow.

"Don't struggle. You'll only hurt yourself. I'm wearing my subarmor."

Freezing, she turns her head and glances at Cale over her shoulder. Smiling, he shifts one of his hands to her stomach and draws her body into his.

"I told you I was coming. Did you want to see me so badly that you felt the need to rush out to meet me?"

Shaking her head, Satsuki tries to pull free. Tightening his hold, Cale grinds his crotch into her backside. Freezing, she glances over her shoulder again and catches Cale's eyes.

"I know you want this, Satsuki," whispers Cale. Leaning forward, he nips her ear.

Groaning, she tries to jerk free again, but his arms don't budge. Raising the hand from her stomach, he cups one of her breasts. Pinching her nipple, Cale blows into her ear. Noticing that her breathing has changed, Cale smiles.

"You want me," he whispers.

Shaking her head, she tries to deny his words. Jerking forward, she again tries to pull free, but his hold remains. Slipping his hand down her body, he thrusts his hand between her thighs and cups her woman's mound.

"I bet if I felt inside your pants right now, you'd be wet for me," whispers Cale.

Shaking her head again, Satsuki tries to deny what his touch is doing to her body. Smiling, Cale opens his arms and releases her. Stepping away from him, she whips around to face him.

"I can wait, though not much longer, Satsuki."

Teleporting away, Cale is gone before she can reply. Shaking, Satsuki runs out of the alley and back to her apartment.

Pushing the door shut behind her, Satsuki leans against the door. Taking a deep breath, she raises her hands to her face and rubs her eyes. Dropping her hands, she moves away from the door.

Stepping into the living room, she stops as she hears the sound of a ringing phone. Staring at the phone, she waits for the answering machine to pick up.

"Satsuki? Are you there?"

Hearing the sound of her brother's voice, she sighs. Rushing to the phone, she stops the answering machine and picks up the phone.

"Hey, Sage."

"Where were you?"

"I just got in from taking a walk."

"Is everything ok?"

"I-"

"Satsuki, what's wrong?"

"It was Cale, Sage," says Satsuki in a rush.

"Fuck! What happened?"

"Cale called here. He told me he was coming…"

"To the apartment? Are you ok?"

"I left the apartment, that's why I went for the walk," replies Satsuki.

"Nothing happened on the walk?"

"…no, nothing happened," lies Satsuki. "He didn't show."

Relieved, Sage sighs. "I wish you'd move in here at Mia's till this is settled."

"No, I won't let him drive me out of my own home," says Satsuki, shaking her head.

"Very well" Pause. "Are you going to come for lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. Noon?"

"That should be fine."

"Ok, see ya then. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Satsuki glances around the apartment. Deciding that she needs a soak, she walks to the bathroom. Shutting the door, she puts the plug in the tub and turns the water on.

While waiting for the tub to fill, she grabs the bottle of bath bubble and adds some the liquid to the bath water. Watching as the soap bubbles fill the tub, she sets the bottle down and strips off her clothing.

Stepping into the tub, she sighs as the hot water envelops her. Resting her head against the edge of the tub, Satsuki forces her body to relax.

Watching her relax in the water, Cale smiles. Hearing a noise from behind him, he glances over his shoulder and watches as Sekhmet strolls into the room. Glaring at each other, they say nothing. Turning his attention back to Satsuki, Cale ignores Sekhmet.

Focusing his own attention to the mirror, Sekhmet smiles as he watches Satsuki in her bath. Licking his lips, he glances once at Cale before returning his attention to the mirror. Minutes slip by while the two men watch Satsuki.

Feeling the water beginning to cool, Satsuki stands up. Looking down at her body, she watches as the soap slides down her body. Bending over, Satsuki pulls the plug from the tub. Standing back up, she turns on the shower to rinse her body off.

Turning off the water, she steps out of the tub and grabs a towel. Drying herself off, she wraps the towel around her body and leaves the bathroom. Walking to her bedroom, she shuts the door behind her and drops the towel. Walking over to her closet, she grabs a pair of stretch pants and a sweat shirt. Slipping the clothing on, she leaves her bedroom and walks to the kitchen to get herself something to eat.

Opening her fridge, she grabs some sandwich meat and shuts the door. Walking over to the counter, she sets the meat down and reaches for the bread. Making herself a sandwich, she puts the left over meat away and takes her sandwich into the living room with her.

Picking up the remote, Satsuki turns on the TV and settles down onto the couch. Finding an old rerun movie, she sets down the remote. Watching the movie, she eats the sandwich.

Wrapped up in the movie, time passes and when the movie ends, she realizes that night had fallen. Stretching her arms above her head, she pushes herself off the couch and walks over to the TV. Shutting the TV off, she sighs.

_Not like I'm tired, but I should probably go to bed. _

Walking across the living room, she enters her bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, she changes out of her clothes and into her pj's. Pushing back the covers, she slips into bed. Closing her eyes, she drifts off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note: Thanks for being so patience. Here's the next chapter. **_

**Chapter 17 **

DREAM

Opening to her eyes, she discovers that she is alone in the bed. Glancing down at herself, she finds herself in a white negligee. Looking around, she tries to see through the dark drapes that surround the bed.

"Looking for someone?"

Jerking, she glances to the right and finds him standing next to the bed. Smiling shyly, she nods her head. Chuckling, the man pushes back the drapes and slides onto the bed.

Crawling on hands and knees to her, Satsuki has the suddenly feeling of being his prey. Shrugging the image off, she waits for him to join her. Arriving at her side, he leans over her and captures her lips with his.

With a small amount of pressure, she opens her mouth to him and feels his tongue move in to dual with hers. Resting a hand on her leg, he slides his hand up her thigh. Spreading her legs for him, she waits to feel his hand touch her. Chuckling again, he lifts his lips from her mouth.

"Anxious, aren't you?" he asks, brushing his fingers against her core.

Moaning, she thrusts her hips forward. "Please," she pleads.

Smiling, he slides down the bed. Spreading her thighs even more, he slips between them and starts to kiss her stomach. Panting, she cranes her neck to see what he's doing. Slipping his hands under her bottom, he lifts her up to his mouth. Sliding his tongue out, he licks her.

Groaning, her hips jerk in his hands. Chuckling at her reaction, he leans down and licks her again. Panting, she thrusts her hips up to him. Accepting the invitation, he lowers his mouth and begins to devour her.

Crying out, Satsuki raises her hands above her head and grabs the headboard. Spreading her thighs even further, he closes his mouth over the nub of her pleasure. Tugging, he suckles on her very core.

Feeling a pressure building, Satsuki strains for her release. Crying and pleading, she begs him to finish it. Feasting on her in earnest, he tastes her body's release as she explodes against his mouth.

Panting, she closes her eyes, just to reopen them and look down at her lover. Rising above her, he makes eye contact with her. Staring into his dark blue eyes, Satsuki discovers the identity of her dream lover…

_Cale._

END DREAM

Jerking awake with a cry on her lips, she sits up in bed. Glancing around her room, she realizes that she is not alone in the room. Stepping forward from the shadows, Cale reaches down and grabs Satsuki from her bed. Dragging her blankets to the floor, she finds herself in his arms.

"I can't wait anymore."

Lowering his head, his lips crush hers in a kiss. Putting her hands up to his shoulder, she pushes against him. Raising his lips from her, Cale stares down at her.

Struggling to get out of his arms, Satsuki looks around the room trying to find something to help her. Stopping in her struggles, she can only stare as she realizes that they are no longer in her bedroom. Instead, she realizes that they are in the room from her dreams.

"I told you that you were in my bed."

Jerking at his voice, she looks at Cale. Shaking her head, she tries to deny what she sees. Taking advantage of her shock, Cale reaches a hand down and cups her mound. Groaning, Satsuki arches her back. Smiling, he raises his hand and grabs the edge of her pants. Ripping her pj bottoms from her, she stands naked from the waist down.

"No," she says, pushing against him.

"Yes," he replies, as he slides his hand between her thighs.

Pushing a knee between her legs, he forces her legs to spread. Thrusting a finger into her core, he begins to pump her. Crying out, she arches backwards in his arms. Leaning his head down, his mouth latches onto her nipple through the cotton of her shirt.

This double assault, so similar to one of her dreams, had her building quickly to a climax. Sobbing out, she feels her body explode with pleasure. Panting, she rests her head against his chest. Sliding his hand under her bottom, he lifts her into his arms and walks her over to his bed.

Laying her down on the bed, Cale grabs what's left of her clothing and rips it from her. Raising her hands, she tries to cover her body. Grabbing her wrists, Cale draws her arms away from her body so that he can view her.

"Please don't, Cale," she whispers.

"I want you so much. You can't say that you don't feel the same."

"You only want me to hurt my brother."

"This has nothing to do with your brother. Not anymore."

Closing her eyes, she turns her face from him. Pausing a moment, Cale wills away his subarmor and stands naked with his hard cock thrusting forward.

Slipping down onto the bed next to her, Cale draws her into his arms. Kissing her neck, he slides one hand over her breast. Plucking at the nipple, he feels her shudder in his arms.

"Enjoy it. We're meant to be," he whispers, sliding his hand down to touch her core.

Hips jerking, she cries out. Sliding his fingers through her wetness, Cale nibbles on her ear. Feeling his hard cock press against her thigh, Satsuki realizes that she wants to feel Cale inside her.

"Please," she pleads.

"Please what?"

"I need-"

Nodding his head, he rolls on top of her. Spreading her thigh further apart, he rubs his cock against her opening. Sobbing, she thrusts her hips forward. Groaning, Cale drives himself into her. Crying out, she meets his thrust with one of her own.

"Oh God! So tight!" he cries out, as he trusts into her again.

Pumping into her, Cale throws his head back. Feeling the pressure building in his cock, Cale knows that he's close to finding his release. Sliding a hand between them, he begins to play with her clit.

Screaming with the pleasure that is coursing through her body, Satsuki cries out even louder as she finds her release. Not long after her, Cale shouts out and then collapses on her.

Saying nothing, they hold each other as they let their bodies calm down.

Passing a hand over the mirror, the naked bodies of Satsuki and Cale fade from the screen. Shuddering, Sekhmet turns away and leaves the room.

_Soon, Satsuki. Soon._


	18. Chapter 18

**WARNING: This chapter contains sexual violence**

Chapter 18 

Awakening slowly, Satsuki rubs her hand against the sheets.

_Silk? But I don't own silk sheets._

Opening her eyes, Satsuki glances around the room. Not recognizing her surrounds, Satsuki sits up.

"So, you're awake?"

Jerking at the sound of his voice, Satsuki turns her head to the source. Cale, totally naked, was sitting on a chair next to the bed.

"It wasn't a dream?" she asks, though she already knew the answer.

"Oh no," he replies, standing up from the chair.

Moving to the bed, he sits down on the edge. Realizing that he cock is semi-hard, she glances away. Chuckling, Cale reaches out with a hand and takes her chin. Turning her back to look at him, he rubs his thumb across her lips.

"It happened," he says.

"What now?"

"What do you mean?" he asks, cocking his head.

"You got what you wanted. Are you going to return me to Sage and tell him every little detail?"

Shaking his head, Cale smiles at her reassuringly. "I told you earlier. What is between us now has nothing to do with him."

"What happens now, then?"

"You will stay with me," Cale replies. Leaning in, he takes her lips with his. Jerking from his kiss, she slides away from him.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Do you still intend to go after my brother and his friends?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"That has nothing to do with us," he says, sliding across the bed and grabbing her wrists. Pulling her toward him, she finds herself sliding across the silk sheets.

"It has everything to do with us. He's my brother," she says, struggling to against him.

Dropping her hands, Cale stands up from the bed. Watching him, she waits for him to do something. As she watches, one second he stands naked beside the bed, the next instance he stands in his subarmor.

"No," she says, shaking her head. "Don't do it, Cale. Leave my brother alone."

"You don't understand, little girl," he snaps.

Storming from the room, he turns a deaf ear to the sound of her crying.

By early afternoon, Sage knew something was wrong. Satsuki never showed for lunch. He waited one hour before jumping into his car and driving to her apartment. Parking in the garage, he took the elevator to her floor.

When she had moved out of the family house, she had made two keys for her apartment. She had one and Sage had the other. Stepping up to her door, he takes the key out and slides it into the lock. Opening the door, he steps inside Satsuki's apartment.

"Satsuki?" he calls out. _Maybe she just forgot._

Not hearing a response, Sage shuts the door behind him. Walking into her living room, he glances around but notices nothing out of the ordinary. Striding into the kitchen, he glances around, but still sees nothing that worries him. Turning around, he heads out of the kitchen and to her bedroom door. Pausing a second, he knocks before opening the door. Stepping inside the room, Sage stops at the sight of the blankets all over the floor, almost as if someone had been dragged out of bed.

'He told me he was coming…' 

Fisting both hands, Sage strides out of the room and out of the apartment.

Raising her hands, Satsuki brushes the tears from her cheeks. Sighing, Satsuki shakes her head.

Why can't you understand, Cale? Why didn't you stay so we could talk? 

Hearing the door open, Satsuki glances up, hoping Cale had returned. Freezing, Satsuki's eyes widen as she watches Sekhmet shut the door and lean against it.

"All alone?"

Watching his eyes roam over her body, she realizes that nothing is covering her body from his eyes. Grabbing a sheet, she wraps it around her naked body. Smiling, Sekhmet licks his lips.

"I have to admit, if I had to choose between you and a certain water Ronin, I'd rather fuck Torrent's ass than your pussy," says Sekhmet, pushing himself away from the door and starting to walk toward the bed. "But, let's just say, Cale has pissed me off."

Stopping at the base of the bed, Sekhmet reaches out and grabs the sheet from her body. Nodding his head, he looks his full of her body.

"Now the thought of fucking your pussy is very appealing."

Glancing around the room, she tries to find a weapon to use against him. Hearing him laugh at her, she jerks her eyes back to him.

"Go ahead and fight me. I prefer to play with my prey," he says and then lunges for her.

Walking the streets of Toyama, Cale tries to calm his temper.

_He's her brother. Of course she wouldn't like the idea of me fighting him._

Kicking a stone, Cale stops walking. Shaking his head, Cale glances around and then starts for a nearby alley. Stepping into the alley, he teleports himself back to the lair. Arriving in the main room, Cale ignores the mirror that had been his sole focus for days.

Leaving the room, he walks down the hallway toward his chamber. So intent on his thoughts, he doesn't hear the noise coming from his room till he places a hand on his doorknob.

"NO!"

Jerking his head up, Cale recognizes the voice of Satsuki. Thrusting the door open, Cale strides into his room and finds a sight that makes his blood run cold.

Hands held above her head, Satsuki was pressed down onto the bed with a naked Sekhmet on top of her. Trying to keep her legs closed, Satsuki struggles against Sekhmet's hold.

At the sound of the door banging off of the wall, Sekhmet looks up and sees that Cale has entered the room. Jumping off of Satsuki, he wills his subarmor to him.

Seeing red, Cale storms across the room. Realizing he had to leave now, Sekhmet teleports from the room before Cale can grab him.

"Coward! When I get my hands on you, Sekhmet, you're going to wish that you had never been born!"

Taking a deep breath, Cale tries to calm his temper. Hearing the sound of sobbing, Cale turns to Satsuki, who is still on the bed. Reaching for her, Cale tries to take her into his arms. Thrusting away from him, Satsuki screams at him.

"Leave me alone!"

"It's me, Satsuki. He's gone," Cale says softly, trying to calm her down.

"What makes you any different from him?" she shouts at him, tears streaking down her face.

"I would never hurt, Satsuki."

"You do," she sobs out. "You hurt me by the fact that you want to kill my only brother."

Reaching out of her again, Cale pulls her into his arms. Struggling against him, she punches him. Realizing that she will hurt herself, Cale wills away his subarmor and feels her fists rain down on his chest.

Raising a hand, Cale runs his hand through her hair. Sobbing, she stops fighting and cries on his shoulder.

"I would never hurt you," repeats Cale softly as he holds her.

"But you do," she says against his shoulder. "I love you, Cale, but I also love my brother."

Freezing at her words, Cale just holds her.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 

"It's been almost 48 hours now! Where is she? What has he done to her?"

Watching Sage pace around the living room, his fellow Ronins can't answer his questions.

"Are you sure it was him?" asks Cye, from the couch where he is sitting.

"The last time I spoke with her, she told me that 'he was coming'," answers Sage. "Who else could it have been?"

"Tell us again the condition of her room," says Rowen.

"Nothing was wrong with her place, except for the bedroom. It looked like she had been dragged from the bed," says Sage. Walking over to the wall, he raises a foot and kicks the wall.

"Hey, Sage, you don't want to hurt yourself," says Cye.

"I don't care! I just want to get Satsuki back!"

"Sage, this won't help her," says Ryo, stepping forward to place a hand on Sage's shoulder. "We will find her."

Nodding his head, Sage rubs a hand through his hair. _But what will he have done to her before we find her_, thinks Sage.

Cale stares down at the woman in his arms. She fell asleep shortly after professing her love for him.

She loves me? What have I done to deserve her love? 

Tightening his hold on her, Cale leans down and kisses her forehead. Murmuring in her sleep, she turns to him.

If I hadn't been here to stop him, Sekhmet would have… 

Not able to complete the thought, Cale leans down again and captures her lips with his, trying to force the memory away. Eyes fluttering open, Satsuki stares into Cale's dark blue eyes. Responding to his kiss, she opens her mouth to allow his tongue entry. Swiping his tongue inside, he meets her tongue in a dual. Drawing away, he stares down at her.

"Good Morning, Satsuki."

"Morning?"

"Yes, little one. You slept the rest of the afternoon and through the night."

Nodding her head, Satsuki shifts her body closer to his. Feeling his skin touching hers, Satsuki glances down at his body and realizes he's no longer wearing his subarmor. Relaxing against him, Satsuki feels him lift a hand and gently cup her breast.

Moaning softly, Satsuki arches her back, pushing her breast further into his hand. Taking a hint, Cale begins to play with her nipple. Sliding down a little, Cale lowers his mouth over her other nipple. Toying with one nipple, he sucks on the other.

Panting, Satsuki closes her eyes. Sliding a hand down her body, Cale slips a hand between her thighs. Gently rubbing her, Cale feels as she begins to grow wet. Lifting a hand, Cale stares down at her. Opening her eyes, she meets his.

"Do you want this after what happened?" he asks. "Earlier…"

"I know what I told you earlier, but I was upset. Your touch is nothing like his." Taking a deep breath, she reaches out a hand and cups his cock. "I want this."

Nodding his head, Cale begins to kiss his way down her body. Understanding what he intends, she spreads her thighs for him to rest between them. Breathe catching, Satsuki watches him settle between her legs. Catching her eyes, Cale smiles.

Slipping his hands under her bottom, Cale raises her to him. Blowing gently on her hot core, Cale hears her moan. Lowering his mouth, he kisses her. Hips jerking, Satsuki jumps off the bed. Chuckling, Cale opens his mouth and licks her.

Groaning, Satsuki thrusts her hips toward him. Taking a hint, Cale begins to suckle on her. Licking and tasting, Cale drives her wild with his mouth.

"Cale!"

Hips jerking, Satsuki feels herself explode into his mouth. Chuckling, Cale slips up her body and kisses her mouth. Tasting herself on his lips, Satsuki rubs her mound against his cock.

"Inside. Please."

Nodding his head, Cale thrusts into her. Groaning, Cale begins to pump her. Meeting him, Satsuki grinds her hips into him at every thrust. Feeling the pressure building again, Satsuki reaches one hand up around his neck and draws him down for a kiss. Exploding together, they swallow each other's cries.

Collapsing, Cale falls to one side of her. Rolling off of her, Cale draws her into his arms and drifts off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 

Rolling over in bed, Satsuki opens her eyes and looks around. Feeling better than she had since the attack, Satsuki reaches out a hand to feel empty space. Sitting up in bed, she looks around for Cale.

"Cale?" she calls, slipping out of bed.

"Here," he replies, as he enters the bedroom from the bathroom.

"I was missing you this morning," she said shyly.

"Oh really?" asks Cale, raising a brow.

Walking over to him, she slips her hands around his waist and rests her head on his chest. Lifting his arms, Cale holds her for a moment before dropping his arms to his side.

"Satsuki?" asks Cale, stepping away. "We need to talk."

"About?" asks Satsuki, cocking her head back and looking up at Cale.

"Your brother."

Stepping away from Cale, Satsuki walks back over to the bed and picks up Cale's robe. Slipping it on over her naked body, she belts the robe as she turns back to him.

"What is there to talk about?" asks Satsuki, not looking up at her lover. "I thought you made yourself clear."

"That was before…" says Cale, but can't bring himself to finish out loud. _Before Sekhmet attacked you._

"And that changes everything?" asks Satsuki, glancing up at him.

"Maybe not everything," says Cale, shaking his head. "I know he's your brother, but I can't forget the past."

"Maybe you don't need to forget," she replies. "Maybe all you need to do is accept."

"How does one accept an enemy?" asks Cale.

"By not focusing on the bad," Satsuki says, stepping closer to Cale. "By knowing that you may not always agree, but that's no reason not to love him."

"I'm assuming you don't mean me and your brother," says Cale, laughing.

"Of course not!" says Satsuki, shaking her head and laughing with him. "But were we any less enemies? And look at us now."

"I happen to like how you look now," replies Cale, smirking. "But I can't say the same if your brother was wearing my robe."

"I should hope not!" she replies.

Stepping up to him, Satsuki gently kisses him on the lips before stepping back.

"All I ask is that you talk with him," says Satsuki. "Give my brother a chance."

Nodding his head, Cale makes his subarmor appear.

"I will find your brother," says Cale.

"And talk, right?" asks Satsuki, raising a brow.

"And talk," confirms Cale.

Before she can blink her eyes, Cale disappears from the room.

Sage slowly opens his eyes and looks around. _Something has changed in the last few moments._

Standing up, Sage's eyes roam over the open field where he had been meditating. Noticing a shadow moving out from behind a tree, Sage clenches his fist as he realizes who is with him.

"Cale!" spats Sage. "Where is she?"

"Your sister is fine," replies the Warlord of Darkness.

"I might believe you if I knew where she is," replies Sage, slipping an orb out of his pocket.

Noticing the Ronin's orb, Cale shakes his head.

"I have not come here to fight you," says Cale. "I'm here because your sister asked me to speak with you."

"About what?" asks Sage, not activating his armor, but not slipping the orb away either.

"Your sister is an amazing woman," starts Cale, glancing away before returning his gaze to the Ronin of Light. "And with the time I have spent with her, I find myself feeling an emotion that I am not sure I have ever felt."

"What trick is this?" asks Sage.

"No trick," replies Cale, shaking his head. "Your sister has found a way into my heart."

"I doubt that," replies Sage.

"I would have too once," says Cale, with a self-mocking smile. "But be that as it may, I am here because our fight makes her unhappy."

"What do you intend to do about it then?" asks Sage, cocking a head.

"I am done," replies Cale. "No more will the Warlord of Darkness fight the Ronins."

"I have a hard time believing that," says Sage.

"You require proof?" asks Cale, raising a brow.

"I want to speak with my sister," replies Sage, taking a step forward. "Show me that she is ok."

"You would trust me not to break my word and harm you?" asks Cale, also taking a step forward.

"I can handle anything you can dish out," replies Sage.

"Very well," replies Cale. "I'll transport us both to Satsuki."

**Author's Note: The next chapter will be up sometime around Christmas. See you then!**


	21. Chapter 21

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy Holidays everyone! Here's the chapter everyone has been waiting for! I hope you enjoy it._**

Chapter 21

After Cale had left her, Satsuki had decided to take a shower of her own. Entering the lush bathroom, Satsuki stood in wonder for a moment. _How could a man with such darkness in his heart have such a beautiful bathroom?_

White tiles with small black roses cover the floor of the bathroom. The walls seemed to glow white. In the center of the whole room was a large claw footed black tube. Amazed at the richness of the room, Satsuki could only feel a little out of place. Shrugging off the feeling, Satsuki slips out of the robe and begins to fill the tube with hot water.

Outside of the bathroom, Sekhmet listens to Satsuki take her bath. Hearing her splash about, Sekhmet smiles in anticipation.

_Cale might have stopped me before, but he won't this time. _

Daydreaming about what he intends for Satsuki, Sekhmet is almost caught off guard when he notices that he could no longer hear the sound of her in the water. Moving away from the door, he barely missing being caught by the girl.

Stepping out of room, Satsuki doesn't even notice Sekhmet standing in the corner. Walking over to Cale's closet, she opens the door and enters the walk-in.

Finding a drawstring pair of pants and a loose black shirt, Satsuki slips the clothing on before leaving the closet. Staring at her bare feet, Satsuki doesn't look up until she is back in the bedroom.

"I think I prefer the towel."

Shocked, Satsuki's mouth drops open when she sees Sekhmet leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom.

"Get out," she says.

"I find the pants and shirt cover up too much of your skin," continues Sekhmet. "But that doesn't matter. I mean, it will mean I will have to remove more, but it will also make the moment last."

Sekhmet pushes himself away from the doorframe and begins to walk toward Satsuki.

"If you touch me, Cale will kill you," says Satsuki.

Laughing humorlessly, Sekhmet continues to move toward Satsuki.

"I fear nothing of Cale," says Sekhmet.

"Oh really?" asks Satsuki. "Is that why you ran like a scared dog when he showed up here last time?"

Clenching his fist, Sekhmet glares at Satsuki.

"Face it, Snake-man," says Satsuki. "The thought of Cale scares you shitless."

"I would worry more about yourself," says Sekhmet, lunging toward Satsuki.

Teleporting in the main room of the lair, Sage glances around before turning his attention to Cale.

"Where is she?" demands Sage.

"In my chambers," replies Cale. "I thought it would be best not to teleport directly into the room."

"Why?" asks Sage, suspicious.

"Nothing like what you are thinking of, Halo," replies Cale, smirking. "It's been your sister's room for the last few days. She could be in the middle of changing her clothes. I'm sure she would rather you not teleport in while she is naked."

Flushing at his mistake, Sage glances away from Cale before looking back. Noticing that Cale is walking toward the door, Sage follows him. Stopping outside a door, Cale waits for Sage before knocking once.

"Satsuki, I'm here with your brother. We're coming in," warns Cale, before he pushes open the door.

As the door opens, the sight he sees makes him wonder if he had stepped back in time. Finding Sekhmet in the room with Satsuki, Cale rushes in.

"YOU!" shouts Cale, going for his sword, but realizing that he is only in his subarmor.

"Greetings," replies Sekhmet, smirking.

Quickly Cale's eyes run over Satsuki. Except for the fact that Sekhmet was in the room and had Satsuki's wrist in his hand, she seemed to be ok.

Stepping forward from behind Cale, Sage also notices that Sekhmet is touching his sister.

"Get your filthy hands off of her," shouts Sage, making a move toward them.

"I would suggest your control the Ronin, Cale," replies Sekhmet.

Lifting his hand, Sekhmet reveals that he holds a small blade in his other hand. Pressing the blade against Satsuki's throat, Sekhmet watches the helpless, would-be heroes.

"I would hate for my hand to slip because Halo rushes me," says Sekhmet.

"If you harm her…" says Sage, clenching his fists.

"Harm her?" asks Sekhmet, eyes widening. "Now why would I do that?"

"What do you want?" asks Cale, glancing once at Sage to make sure the Ronin wasn't going to do anything stupid.

"We have some business to finish and she's going to be my insurance," replies Sekhmet, smirking. "And when you're ready, you'll know where to find me."

With nothing else to say, Sekhmet teleports himself and Satsuki out of the room.

THE END?

**_Author's Note: Evil laughter fills the room. Yeah, I'm stopping Shadows here, but the plot continues in the sequel, Poison. This story will be coming soon!_**


End file.
